Either the documentation for the installation of this computer monitor arms is incorrect, or I need to be educated on hardware. Please enlighten me.
The documentation says:
So I take out a 3/8" Hex tool, and it is too small to fit this bold. The largest one I have is 1/2" and it still doesn’t fit. I am wondering if this might be a 3/4", but I don’t have a tool that size to find out.
Also, what does “16” refer to? Does that have something to do with threading? I assume 2 1/2" is the length of the bolt?
Here is a product which matches this description I found at Amazon.com, to use as an illustration:
This looks like what I have to work with, although if documentation is wrong and this is larger, such as a 3/4", then this would be off. But this appears to me like the bolt I’m working with.
And before anyone says, why don’t I use an adjustable wrench, well I can’t, because this is mounted down a shift as seen in this document for the Thru-Desk drawing. So it I need something to fit this which can be inserted into the mount:
So I need to determine head width. I guess experienced hardware people would know that a 3/8" tool isn’t going to fit the head. A 1/2" is 8/16" and if this head is actually 9/16" that would explain why it doesn’t fit, because it is too small by a 1/16".
Yes, the head of a hex-head bolt is much larger than the threaded part, so a 3/8" bolt needs a wrench much larger than 3/8". There is no standard for this though, i.e. not all 3/8" bolts have the same size head.
But before you look further, are you sure you need any tool to hold the bolt?? I looked at the manual you linked to. In this type of design, the head of the bolt usually fits into a hexagonal recess which prevents it from turning. All you need to do is tighten the nut at the bottom.
Back in the day I would have thrown a copy ofMachinery’s Handbook at you for asking such a question.
You could be a real dick like that back in the seventies. Come to think of it, I’ve also thrown copies of McMaster-Carr at people as well. :eek: I was a mechanical engineering terror for a time. One of my favorite phrase was “McMaster-Carr will save your project, now leave me alone!”.
Am I the only person that just eyeballs the bolt (head), grabs the appropriate tool (wrench/socket in this case), then when it doesn’t fit, grabs a different one, then when that doesn’t fit, grabs TWO more and wonders if I should brings the whole set over so I don’t have to walk up and down the stairs so many times, no, between these two, one of them will fit, right, wrong, bring the whole set up, we’ll get there eventually, hopefully.
When I’m finally done, I have to really convince myself that it’s better to sit there and snap all these sockets back into place than to just toss them on top of the open box and be done with this stupid project.
Thanks. I’m still confused why somethings are 3/8" (for example) and others I’ve seen in the hardware store say size “14”. So this discussion is helpful to me.
I do that with things I actually have a tool set for, like things that require smaller screwdrivers. But in this case, I’ve not had a need to collect hex stuff until this installation. But since I’m still pretty green in all this, I didn’t want to go buy the equivalent of a $200.00 set of Phillips head screw drivers when I might just need one cheap standard one I will use for 2 minutes every 5 years.
I’m all for having a set of tools, but I want to understand what I’m doing before I purchase anything. I made a mistake with a huge set of drill bits I bought when I could have gotten by with just a few.
Yeah, that can be confusing but US diameters under 1/4” are given as numbers (#0-#15) instead of inches, in order of increasing size. These are mostly used for machine screws but there may be some exceptions.
This is a common mistake I see some people make. You don’t need a $200 0r 200 piece set or professional grade tools but a small set of common sizes is useful.
I have a nice Craftsman socket set at home along with all my other this and that type tool sets. But at work, we must have 10 socket sets that have, over the years, turned themselves into just a random socket here, 10 or 15 there. Things are just everywhere. We have tons of tools, but finding sockets it’s a PITA. About a year ago, I finally bit the bullet and bought a ‘cheap’ socket set. Boss was annoyed that I was buying another one, but it’s nice to have all the sockets in one place. It was this Stanley set. 145 pieces (and 145 good pieces too).
You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars one a socket set. Now, it’s not a terrible idea to get something by Craftsman or Kobalt or HDX(?) that carries a lifetime warranty. OTOH, as long as you don’t get a brand that’s complete garbage you’ll probably never break it. They only sockets I’ve ever broken was when I had them on an impact wrench or was using them with a breaker bar and all the ratchets I’ve broken had a ton of use (20-30 years of being used on cars on a regular basis, except for the no-name one that broke after 10ish years of light duty).
That Stanley kit is a really, really good price for such a large set, it’s been working out for me very well so far. Stanley is a good name in the tool game and I doubt you’d be able to find cheaper set, even at Harbor Freight. Maybe, maybe around Christmas at Lowes/HD/Sears on a smaller set.
I remember that on my 1960 Chevy, you could take apart the whole engine, it seemed, with only a 1/2 and a 9/16 inch socket wrench. Brilliant engineering.
I don’t like those drivers personally. The directional lever sticks out too far on the back, and in some tight situations are nearly impossible to use because as soon as you start to turn the bolt, you catch the lever on something and take it out of gear.
If it’s any consolation, OP, there was once a system of fasteners just like that: Whitworth. A wrench marked “1/2” was the proper size for a fastener (bolt or nut) with a “1/2” thread. The actual size of the wrench (across flats) opening was something just north of 11/16". Sir John Whitworth invented what he thought was an ideal relationship between the thread and the head of a nut or bolt. He apparently convinced some of the English carmakers to use his system. He somehow managed to make sure that few, if any, of my existing SAE or metric wrenches would work.
I had a set of Whitworth wrenches back when I had my Morris Minor, which used them extensively. After the demise of the Morris, I sold them to a friend who had an MG-TC. I think I got them from good old JCWhitney.
Is that what it is? I knew I was having some kind of problem with it when I was typing up the post, something about it not ratcheting properly, but I thought maybe I was confusing that with the no-name one I mentioned. That’s it, though I didn’t know why it was happening, I do knock the little lever into the middle from time to time. It’s annoying, but I can live with it. But yeah, at least every other time I think ‘are you kidding, how is this already broken?’, then I move that back to the left/right and go back to working. I’m don’t have the tool set in front of me, but I’m fairly sure this is the ratchet. That lever is pretty proud. I’ll have to look at it in the morning.
What actually bugs me more about it is that the sockets are in the molded case really, really tight. Even my ‘you’re just weak’ co-worker has a hard time getting them out. I usually use one of the open end wrenches or a screwdriver to pop them out.
But still, I’d buy it again.
To the OP, I’d certainly suggest that one. But for what you want, there’s no reason why you can’t buy a much, much smaller one. You probably don’t need the Allan wrenches, you don’t need two sizes of ratchets, you don’t need regular and deep sockets etc. OTOH, you’ll spend way too much money (and time) running to the hardware store and buying sockets (and other parts that come in those kits) one piece at a time as you need them.
FWIW, a socket set is one of those things I think most homeowners should have in their house, it’s a good investment. If you really don’t want to bite the bullet on that, maybe pick up a Crescent or Channel Locks wrench (y’all know what I mean, the style, not necessarily the brand). That’ll cover a lot of your basis. In many cases two crescent wrenches are more versatile than an entire socket set (they might also cost as much, but that’s a different story).
Come to think of it, I’ve also thrown copies of McMaster-Carr at people as well. :eek: I was a mechanical engineering terror for a time. One of my favorite phrase was “McMaster-Carr will save your project, now leave me alone!”.
